How to be Luckier in Life

hand holding a lucky four leaf clover

When it comes to luck, it can feel as though you either have it or you don't. We all know people who forever seem to be winning things, who find money in the street, get presented with amazing opportunities and just generally seem to come off well regardless of the situation. The rest of us 'unlucky' ones will always get caught in the rain, miss the bus by seconds and as for that tenner that Mr Lucky found floating down the street... that's probably just blown right out of our pocket. But is it really as simple as being innately lucky or unlucky? Why do some people get all the luck? It's actually very simple, if you believe yourself to be a lucky (or unlucky) person- chances are you will become one. Psychologists call this 'self fulfilling prophecy' and it happens as a result of your beliefs or expectations influencing your behaviour. So how does it all work?

First of all, people who consider themselves to be lucky tend to have a different outlook on life than those that deem themselves to be unlucky. Overall they're more optimistic, look for the good even in bad situations and persist in the face of failure; pretty much your 'glass half full' kinda folk. This positive mindset makes them more open to new ventures, more likely to take chances and more likely to spot opportunities; their positive experiences as a result of this can make them appear to be lucky. An 'unlucky' person on the other hand might feel like things are never on their side, and as a result of that lots of chances for positive outcomes may be missed. If for example you're positive and open minded- the idea of things like buying a lottery ticket, entering a competition or a raffle or taking the chance to try something new will be appealing. Regardless of the outcome, you're already in with more of a chance than the 'unlucky' person who didn't see the point in entering. This is of course a simplified example but it shows how 'luck' works, while there's always an element of chance that's out of your control it's much more about how well you can spot opportunities and how you react to them.

So how do you become luckier in life? Focus on the positives rather than the negatives, and keep an eye out for opportunities that the 'glass half empty' people will typically miss. Be willing to try new things and learn to see the positives even in negative situations. Believe that you're a lucky person, and chances are you'll become one. That's not to say you should become reckless, run away to Vegas and bet away your life savings on roulette- but taking calculated risks and keeping an open mind can do wonders. Whether it's winning the jackpot in an online casino, taking the chance on meeting someone new or landing your dream career...you really do make your own luck!

Would you consider yourself a lucky, or an unlucky person?